Saturday, November 24, 2007

The Brewer's Art is a brewpub in the 'art' district of Baltimore, a long walk up Charles Street to mid-town from the touristy Inner Harbor. The food is bistro-inspired, the house-brews, Belgian-styled.

It's certainly worth the trek.

Since The Brewer's Art opened in 1997, its beers have been draught-only. But, now, if only for one of its beers, you may not have to trek!The Green Peppercorn Tripel, a seasonal at the pub, has been released in limited quantities of 750-ml champagne-corked bottles for distribution in Maryland and D.C.

Be careful when you pour it: the white head is spumous and BIG! The appearance is gold/light orange in color, and hazy - more so upon chilling.

There's a restrained estery aroma: maybe roses and melons. And it might have been the power of suggestion, but I thought I did catch a whiff of green peppercorns.

The flavor proffers biscuity sweetness, subtle notes of sweet cooking spices, and some more of that melon fruitiness. But all of that is balanced by the snap of the high carbonation level and by a mildly spicy heat that sneaks in at the finish.

The green peppercorns' spiciness substitutes - in subtle fashion - for some of the hops' bitterness. It's not overdone; in fact, it's very well done.

Superb.

[UPDATE: 2007.11.25. It was a wonderful mate for the (cooking of) Thanksgiving meal.]